US 12,715,635 B2Granted

Plant for processing capsules for beverages

AssigneeI.M.A. Industria Macchine Automatiche S.P.A.

InventorsAndrea Bartoli, Alberto Bartoli

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Abstract

A plant for processing capsules for preparing beverages includes at least one rail along which a plurality of processing stations is arranged for the capsules, in each of which on each capsule preset processing is performed, in which conveying elements, each of which conveys a capsule, are movable along the rail, each conveying element being movable along the rail independently of the other conveying elements. A method for processing capsules for preparing beverages, in a processing plant for processing capsules for beverages including at least one rail along which a plurality of processing stations is arranged for the capsules, in each of which on each capsule preset processing is performed, wherein conveying elements, each of which conveys a capsule, are movable along the rail; the movement speed of each conveying element is adjustable independently of the movement speed of the other conveying elements and the gap between two adjacent conveying elements, during the motion of the conveying elements, can be adjusted independently of the gap between other conveying elements that are adjacent to one another.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A plant for processing capsules for preparing beverages, comprising:

at least one rail,
a plurality of conveying elements independently movable along the at least one rail,
a support element received within each conveying element, the support element defining a cavity and having an upper annular rim,
wherein the support element is configured to receive a capsule such that an annular flange of the capsule rests on the upper annular rim,
an inlet station configured to introduce capsules into the cavities of the support elements,
an outlet station configured to remove capsules from the support elements,
a plurality of processing stations arranged along said at least one rail between said inlet station and said outlet station,
wherein said plurality of processing stations comprises a dosing station configured to dispense a predetermined quantity of product into each capsule received in a support element, and a welding station configured to weld a closing disc onto each capsule to close the capsule,
wherein each conveying element is configured to receive at least one capsule and is movable independently of all others of the conveying elements along said at least one rail, and
wherein said at least one rail and said plurality of conveying elements define an electromagnetic conveying system, and
wherein the support element with the received capsule is lifted from the conveying element when the support element is aligned with the welding station.

8 more elements

A method for processing capsules for preparing beverages including:

providing a processing plant for processing capsules for beverages, wherein the processing plant includes at least one rail,
providing conveying elements configured to be movable independently from each other along said at least one rail, wherein said at least one rail and said conveying elements define an electromagnetic conveying system,
providing a support element received within each conveying element, the support element defining a cavity and having an upper annular rim onto which an annular flange of the capsule rests when received into the cavity,
providing an inlet station configured to introduce capsules into the cavities of the support elements, and an outlet station configured to remove capsules from the support elements,
providing a plurality of processing stations arranged along said at least one rail between said inlet station and said outlet station,
wherein a preset processing is performed on each capsule in each station of said plurality of processing stations, wherein said plurality of preset processing includes:
dispensing a predetermined quantity of product into each capsule at a dosing station and welding a closing disc on a respective capsule to close the capsule at a welding station,
wherein the support element with the received capsule is lifted from the conveying element when the capsule is aligned with the welding station.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/438,243Filed 13 Mar 2020
Priority: IT 10201900000363113 Mar 2019
Published: US 2022/0185518 A116 Jun 2022
Granted: 25 Aug 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B65B 29/022
Packaging of substances, e.g. tea, which are intended to be infused in the package: packaging infusion material into capsules
B65B 1/32
Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled: by weighing
B65B 1/46
Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled: check-weighing of filled containers or…
B65B 7/01
Closing containers or receptacles after filling: machines characterised by incorporation of means for making the closures before applying